Record-Breaking Solar Power Installations Underway in the West

May 9, 2007

Construction began in late April on the largest solar photovoltaic
system in North America, a 15-megawatt system at Nellis Air Force
Base. The solar power system will consist of 70,000 solar panels
erected on 140 acres of unused land at the base, which is located on
the outskirts of Las Vegas, Nevada. The base is leasing the land to
MMA Renewable Ventures, a subsidiary of Municipal Mortgage & Equity,
which will finance, own, and operate the system, selling the power to
Nellis. The sun-tracking solar power system is expected to generate
25 million kilowatt-hours of solar power per year, meeting about a
quarter of the electricity needs at the base. The advanced tracking
system was designed by PowerLight Corporation, a subsidiary of
SunPower Corporation. The project will be completed later this year.
See the press releases from
Nellis and
SunPower.

Another solar energy project will set a record for Colorado. Governor
Bill Ritter helped to break ground in late April for an 8.22-megawatt
solar photovoltaic plant that will be the largest in the state.
Located near Alamosa in south-central Colorado, the facility will help
Xcel Energy meet its renewable energy requirements. SunEdison will
build, own, and operate the facility using more than 27,000 solar
panels from Suntech Power Holdings. See the press release from the
governor and from SunEdison
(PDF 16 KB).
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Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. and Kohl's Corporation have also made major
commitments to installing solar power on their stores. Wal-Mart will
rely on three solar suppliers to install solar power systems on
22 facilities in California and Hawaii, including Wal-Mart stores,
Sam's Clubs, and a distribution center. Kohl's has signed with
SunEdison for solar power installations on 24 of its 80 stores in
California. Construction on two of the projects will start in May,
and all the projects should be completed by the end of 2008. Kohl's
plans to eventually install solar power on at least 40 more stores in
California. See the press releases from
Wal-Mart and
Kohl's.